Method and apparatus for making batt-covered sheets



Jan. 10, 1950 c. HEPNER METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING BATT-COVERED SHEETS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 17, 1946 IN VEN TOR.

Cmmgs Hem-R Jan. 10, 1950 c. HEPNER 2,493,96

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING BATT-COVERED SHEETS Filed Oct. l7, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVE fiHARLES HEPA/ER FTYS- Patented Jan. 10, 1950 UNITED "METHODANDAPPABAIUSLEOR MAKING BATT COVER-EDTSHEEZIS ;Charles-Hepner,liicago;3lll. Applicationbctoberill, IMGJSefidI'NoJiOB'iHIZ 1'9 Claims. '1

This invention "relates "to'the manufacture "of "fibrous batt-covered sheet'materialsuch'astmetal wool-covered paper, and "specifically deals -with the'productionofribbed' steel wool pads.

In my Patent No. 2,287,801, granted June 30, 1942, I have describedand claimed "a'scouring pad composed of'a backing with a batt 'ofsteel 'wooladhesively united thereto along'trough-areas thereof to provide a ribbed surface, the"crests"o'f whichproject from the backing and "the troughs of which form pockets adapted'to' receive'shavings or chips.

The present invention now'deals' withmethods and apparatus "for commercially producing pads such as are described and claimed in my'Pat'ent No. "2,287,801. The present invention also "deals with the utilization of'a thermoplastic"coating' on backing material such as paper "to adhesivl'y unite the fibrous batt to the-backing. Thisther- CL Iii- 29 of" the b'att tdthe backing. .ns aresult, -a ribbed hattinnfaipaper orfclothtbackingus formed with theitrough areasrofthe ribsbeing*"borlded"to the *baciiingrand withthe -'cre's't-:areas of the 'ribs bes "ing'resilientanddreeiioralbrasive action.

W5 metal batts, such as esteel wool'pa'ds, 'on-"an ad- "liesive -coated "sheet material and quickly unite 'tronghareas. oftheciimped' batts' 'to"the"ba'cking.

"A'still"iurtherobject'ofthe inventionisto pro "vide a "method (if "making metal wool-covered moplastic ri s p f ra y n -ta y .sl'reetmaterial by'iocally'pressingnarrow-transroom temperatures, but becomes tacky "when heated to elevated temperatures for receiving the fibers of' the batt embedded therein. 'Upon cooling, the adhesive resumes its hardened, nonyerse hands of ":the ibatt "crosswise "of iits grain against-amadhesive coating "on a-sheet and im- 'inediateiy thereafterpassing' an electric current across "the pressed rband "area to heat the "wool ky ndi i n o fixedly ret in the 'fibers' m- *locallyiin'theband areaforsoftening the adhesive bedded therein. Synthetic thermoplastic'resins of the vinyl, alkyl, '-c0umaroneindene, acrylic, and. cellulosic types are suitable. Vinyl acetate, for example, has an excellent bond relationship with paper and a good bond relationship with metal.

According to this invention; a "sheet of thermoplastic-coated paper, cloth, or the like "is "ad- 'vanced on a traveling bed and a batt of'grain'ed fibrous material, such as steelwool,-issuccessively fed onto the coated face of thepaper'orclotl'i. The fibers in' the batt run generally lengthwise or "the paper or cloth. A crimping mechanism forms corrugations in the'batt extending crosscoating to embed "the ban-d area in the coating "andtherebyretain the wool-on'the backing.

ix-further objector the invention is to provide electrica'l apparatus for quickly uniting metal 130 woolbatts' to abackinymaterial such as cloth,

' Other'and further objectsofthe'invention will heapparent to'those slk'iiledin the "art from the following detailed iiescription of "the annexed :isheets (if drawings which, by-way "of preferred *examples, illustrate "several embodiments of the invention.

Onthe-drawings: Figure "1 "is "a "iragmentary isometric view 'of wis of h p p r or cl th. Thetroughspfithe 40 oneTormpf'apparaitus,raccordingto"thisinvencorrugations are then-'engagedby closely-spaced parallel blades extending transversely =acrosstlre grain of the "batt. "These "blades 'are 'in'sulate'd "from each other'and an electric current ispas'secl Figure '2:is"a"si'de *elevational" view "oi'aportion from one blade'totheadjacent blade: through: the ,meth'o'd"of tiiisinverltionion-theappamtu of this narrow band; area of the troughengage'dby the blades. The liowsof electric current across this narrow hand area heats the fibers inthe area to a temperature sufficiently high for softeningthe invention.

Figure Sf'isa isideeel'evationalyiew, "with parts "in vertical "crosssection, Ofantither form "of "appara-tus for forming ribbed '"fibrous "batt-covered ithermoplastic coating. The pressure of'the blade 5-50 wsheets acor'ding t0 :zanother method ofthi inthen embeds the itroughtinto the coating for "adhesively uniting fthe bittbtdthe "backing. Current flow between the ;close'lyr:spaced :blades is=then :stoppedtandithe softened thermoplastic is allowed 'ventio'n.

Figure 4 is a tup'rplan'wiew or I the apparatus of EF-igure li with arportion df'thelfibrous'batt-covered rpad broken away tosliowi underlyingzs'tructure. I

tozcool ionpe'rmanentlyzbond-ing the trough .areas an mini- :55.5 affxagmenmry dgveloped p iew As shown on the drawings:

In Figure 1 the reference numeral I designates generally one form of apparatus for carrying out one method of producing ribbed or corrugated batt-covered pads according to this invention. The apparatus I0 includes a cylindrical drum II providing a traveling bed I2 on its peripheral surface. The bed I 2 moves in the direction of the arrow. Backing material I3 composed of a fibrous web I4, such as paper or cloth, and a thermoplastic adhesive coating I5, is fed by theof the drum of the apparatus of Figures 3 and 4.

drum I I under a batt I6 of steel wool or the like 7 fibrous material composed of fibers II extending lengthwise of the backing I3. The coating I5 is exposed on the drum surface and receivesthebottom broad face of the batt I6 thereon. A reciprocating blade I8 coactswith a heating blade surfaces rubbed thereby. The valleys or troughs between the crests 2I are adapted to receive abraded dust or the like removed by the fibers on the crests to thereby prevent clogging of the securing surface.

Pads or wool-covered sheets 21 are, according to this invention, also commercially produced on apparatus 28 shown in Figures 3 to 5. This apparatus 28 includes a wheel or drum 29 on a assembly I9 to corrugate the batt I6 transversely of the grain or direction of the fibers II. The blade I8 crimps the batt to form transversely extending trough portions 201at spaced parallel intervals leaving crests 2| between the troughs 20. The blade I8 acts at an angle relative to the blade I9 for tucking the batt toward the blade I9, thereby accentuating the crest 2|. 7 3 1 I The blade assembly I9 also reciprocates toward and away from the batt .to successively seat in the troughs 29 as they advance from the corrugating blade I8. The bladeassembly I9 is composed of a first resistance element 22 and a second resistance element 23in closely spaced .parallel relationship therewith and separated therefrom by dielectric material 24., The blades 22 and 23 havebeveled active endjportions 22a and 23a respectively presenting end edges of reduced area to the troughs 20 of the batt I6. These blades :are connected by electrical conduits 25 with a transformer which energizes the blades to heat their end edges whenever electrical contact therebetween is established through the engaged metal fibers I! in the troughs 20 of the batt I6. The -blades are composed of material having high electrical resistance, such as stainless steel or Nichrome, and the current flow therethrougln. when contact therebetween is established by the fibers I1, is suificient to heat the blade ends and fibers to'temperatures high enough to soften the thermoplastic material I5, immediately under the troughs 20. The heated fibers H in the troughs "20 are then pressed by the bladev assembly! into the softened thermoplastic material for forming bonds 26. Some of the fibers I! are embedded 'in the plastic material as best shown in Figure 2.

The current supply to the blades 22 and 23 is then cut off, preferably while the blade is still pressing against the fibers, and the thermoplastic material. is allowed to cool and harden for permanently bonding the fibers thereto.

While the blades 22 and 23 are preferably composed of resistant material which becomes heated at the blade edges 22a and 23a.when current flows between the blades through the fibers II, it should be understood that the blades could be made of copper or other good electrical-current conducting material, and heat could be generated .by the resistance of the fibers I! to electrical current flowing therethrough between the blades.

The finished pad or batt-covered sheet 21 ,shown in Figure, 2 is thus composed of backing: material I3 including a sheet I4, of paper, cloth, or the like,- and a thermoplastic adhesive I5 coated on the sheet I4, together with a batt I6 covering the coating I5 and corrugated thereon to provide alternateribs or corrugations .--2.I separated by horizontal axle 3!], a feed belt 3| trained around a lower pulley 32 on a horizontal axle 33 beneath the level of the axle 30, and around a top pulley 34 on a horizontal axle 35 at a level above the axle 33, a feeding roller 36 beneath the drum 29, and a star Wheel or fluted roller 31 adjacent the feeding roller 36.

The coated backing material I3, composed of the paper or cloth backing I4 and thermoplastic coating I5, is fed around the roller 36 to present the coated face I5 toward the drum 29. The wool batt I6 is fed over the star wheel 31.

The wheel or drum 29 has a plurality of equally spaced blade assemblies 38 projecting radially from the periphery thereof. The radial spacing of the outer edges of the blades 38 determines tively thin spaced parallel blades 39 and 40 preferably composed of electrical resistance material such as stainless steel, Nichrome, or the like. The blades 39 and 40 are separated by dielectric insulation 4|.

Commutator segments or bars 42, of good electrical conductivity, such as copper, extend between the blade assemblies 38 and have good contact therewith along their entire lengths.

Alternate bars 42 have heads 42a projecting beyond one end of the blades while the bars 42' between these alternate bars have heads 42b projecting beyond the other ends of the blades.

These heads 42a and 42b form rims around the drum or wheel 29 with air gaps 43 therein. These air gaps 43 are much narrower than the spaces 60 between the blade assemblies 38.

A first electrical contact brush 44 has sliding engagement with the heads 42a. A second electrical contact brush 45 has sliding contact with the heads 42b. The brushes 44 and 45 are offset, as shown in Figure 5, so that current flow will be established through several sets of blade assemblies 38. As illustrated, current will flow through the bar 42 engaged by the brush 44 to energize the blade 39 engaging one side thereof. If metal wool of the batt I6 bridges the insulation 4! current will flow through the metal wool to the blade 40, thence through the adjacent bar 42 to' the next blade 39, thence through the wool to the adjacent blade 40, across'the next bar 42 to energize the third blade 39 and thence 1 e i zil ifi iaeee bar ing material is fed around the roller :The

ra covered w t t bebk n m teria 1 s 5% e 'q nd the p pherie h meda ;.'S mb i ene eme W h bel .3 h c forms a traveling bed for-the batt andjts back- ,ing. The troughszfl of the batta re c-aused to tightly engage the edges of the blades so that the fiberslwillestablish electrical contact between the blades 39 and 40 of each assembly 38. 'While the baeking material is stillcovered with the belt 3!, groups of three-blade ass einblies are sue-.1

.cessively energized tohe at the blades and soften t h mo as hes e eby m eddin the troughs!!! into thesoftened thermoplastic. The blades are then successively pie-energized ,and allowed to cool While stillmaintaining their i pressure engagement with the troughs, -The softened thermoplastic-material thereupon hardens to retain the troughs embedded- -therein.

From the above description it wilhbeunderstood that the apparatus- 2 8 ofFi-gure s -3- to- 5 receives the batt H5 at the underside of theawheel .or drum 29and crimps the batt by means of the star wheel 31 into engagement with the-blade assemblies which project radially'fromythe wheel.

The feed roller then deposits thecoatediaceof the backing assembly I 3 ontothe crimped-.batt and as the wheel is rotated, qthe xbatt and its backing are advanced to be .coveredwith the traveling belt 3 l. While the material is still covered with the belt, the-blades are heated to soften the thermoplastic material and rembed the troughs of the batt into the coating [5. The blades are then allowed to .cool while still .in pressure engagement with the troughs so that the thermoplastic material .can hardeniandretain the troughs embedded therein.

The above descriptions and examples illustrate .methods and apparatus for commercial manufacture of ribbed batt-covered sheets ands-show wherein a batt of resilient fibrous materialisuch as metal .wool is crimped or corrugated transversely of its grain and then subjected to heat over narrow band areas in the trough portions of the corrugations for softeningan adhesive on the backing material to become embedded "andpermanently bonded in the-adhesive. Thermoplastic resinous materials form satisfactory adhesives, and are preferably selected so .as to be non-tacky at, room temperatures, .and :to have excellent bonding properties with both non-g metallic fibrous material, such as aaper, el-9th, .9 he ke ens me ellic'eemes a pirates as metal woolbatts.

i j v-,Essie-e;-.JP# antler-steed that senses t6 ireetienfia eeevrea e w .i get eereei aiedr 1 ag 19 a three of the ,sorrue eesa against th Edatirig mf'th'shet, locally heat ;g ;;the

.:;-ereseed trqueh .-ts seitenthe hermop as 1 i 1 9 troushse eereiniand-allo i .7 a eria t @09 ".f bree ba h? .embe ltia tr gh th reby fix. dly l. st n t a t; o t fib oiismate ia :.Z- 3 i methil ze 1-.makin 2a -C Ys e Sheets ie sh o;m r; advanc n a thermo st c- .e s ee 59 7 a im or co rueat ng ;.a i reterial to form corruga- Of the sheet. d posit- .sioeeth ecqr ueate bath. o :the coated *face of tim shee nath t ou hs of theeorrusag0 tiqns against the coatingmn :the sheet,-.and :10-

ca l he t ngthe; p iessedetroush or the, corrusgationsto soften the thermoplastic coatingeand ee mbe d; some of the iibrousmaterial .pfgthe ba-tt therein. 3. The method of makin metal-woo1, covered sheet material which comprises: depositing a ,batt -Q meta .iNQol -.Qn,to a-, heatesensitive adhesive coating on a fibrous sheet, locally pressing/nan row transverse-bands of the-batt against the ,,coa ting, passing electrical .current'across -.t,he ..p ands to heat the woolplocally in the bandarea and soften ,the adhesive with the heated-wool,

embeddingthe heated .wool 'inthesoftenedsad e siv, 1 andr allowing the softened adhesive-to ,cool for fixing the, embedded wool therein.

:4; The method. of :mak-ing metalewool-covered sheet -materia-1 which comprises depositin a grained-ibatt, of metal .wool onto .a heat-rsensitive adhesivecoatingYon afibrous sheet, locally pressing narrow transverse bands of the batt crosswise of its grain-against the coating, passing electrical -current across the, bands to heat I the .wool locally inthezDandareaS and soften thetadhesive :Wi-th =the: heatedewo01, continuing the pressing opera- 9n -on the narrow transverse band areas i-after 543119 adhesive hasabeen softened toflembed the band areas of the wool into-.theadhesive, :an'd --al l.owing thesoftenedadhesive to cooland harden -ior-fixing ,theembedded .yvool therein.

5. Thesmethodof making. metal woolecovered sheet material which comprises corrugating a eresilient batt of metal rWOOI to. form corrugations extendin transversely oft-the .grain of the hatt,

-depositingthe corrugated batt onto aheat-sen- ;sitiveeoating onarfibrouslsheet, pressin a blade iasselnbly into the i-rough portion of each -c0rruagation, heating the blade assembl to heat the -tro,ugh portion :for ,softening the boating, and

continuing stile -pressing. operationwto embed the -trough portion into the "softened coating for ---bohdi;i ig-the -batt to the nbrous heet u l -atti e I the-batt. eiv'l ea sieg'zee el wsqkeo e ed a ,w; r i hesitate a a e h e iees f th evereas n 1 'gr'ai'ne'd batt-- er "metal extending transversely of the grains of the batt,

wool to form corrugations depositing the crimped batt onto the thermoplastic-coated face of a paper sheet, advancing the sheet and batt on a traveling bed, pressing spaced parallel blades against thetrough portions of the corrugated batt, passing an electrical current between the blades through said trough portions to heat the fibers of the trough portions for softening the thermoplastic coating at said troughv portions, continuing the pressing operation tov partially embed the trough portions into the thermoplastic coating, and allowing the coating -to cool and harden for retaining the embedded fibers therein.

'7. The method of making metal wool-covered paper pads which comprises advancing a thermoplastic-coated paper web on a traveling bed with =.the coated face of the web exposed, feeding a metal wool battover the traveling web, corrugating the metal wool batt transversely of the grain of the wool and across the width of the web,

pressing the troughs of the corrugations against the coated face of the web, and passing an electric current through the pressed troughs for softening the thermoplastic material to adhesively unite the batt to the web.

" 1 8. The method of making metal wool-covered paper sheets which comprises corrugating a metal wool batt over radially extending blade assemblies, covering the corrugated batt on said assem- "blies with the coated face of a thermoplasticcoated paper web, pressing the web against the batt to squeeze the trough areas of the corrugated 'batt against the coated face of the web, and heating said trough areas to locally soften the coated face of the web for fixedly uniting the batt to the .to receive a thermoplastic adhesive materialcoated sheet/thereon with the coated face eX- posed, means for successively crimping a resilient batt to form corrugations therein extending transversely across the width of the bed and sheet material, and heating means engaging the batt in the troughs of successive corrugations and coacting with the batt to press the trough-defining portions of the batt into the thermoplastic coating on the sheet.

10. Apparatus for forming batt-covered sheets rugating blade coacting with the sheet support,

and a heating blade in advance of the corrugating.

blade, said blade having spaced parallel electri-, cally conducting portions. with pointed ends adapted, to seat in the'troughs of corrugations formed. by the corrugating blade, and means for jflowing electric current through the blade portions for heating the troughs of the batt.

12. Apparatus forforming wool-covered sheets which comprises a drum having radially projecting blade assemblies, each blade assembly including spaced parallel electric conducting bladesand .5 an i let i r bei e r e w e h lad as'semblies having good electrical contact therewhich comprises a traveling sheet support, a corjecting from opposite ends of the wheel, brushes engaging said head portions for energizing the bars to cause current to flow from the bars through the blades whenever electrical contact between the spaced blade portions is established, a wheel arranged to corrugate batt material over the blade assemblies, means for feeding a coated Web over the corrugated batt on the blade assembly, a traveling belt for backing up said web to press the trough areas of the corrugated batt against the blade assemblies, and said brushes being arranged relative to said heads of the bars for energizing groups of blade assemblies during passage of the belt-pressed batt and web thereover. 13.'Apparatus for forming wool batt-covered sheets which comprises a wheel having radially extending blade assemblies, each blade assembly including spaced parallel heat-conductive blades and a separating insulator therebetween, a belt trained to lap a portion of the blade assemblies on the wheel, means for corrugating a batt on the peripheries of the blade assemblies, means for feeding a thermoplastic-coated paper web between the corrugated batt on the blade assemblies and the belt, and means for electrically energizing groups of blade assemblies to flow current through the troughs of the corrugated batt for softening the coating on the sheet to bond the batt to the sheet.

151. Apparatus adapted for uniting metal wool batts to backing material which comprises a wheel, radially extending blade assemblies on said wheel, bars between said blade assemblies, heads on said bars, adjacent bars having the heads thereof projecting beyond opposite ends of the wheel, brushes engaging said heads 'to ener gize the bars for energizing the blades, and means for feeding a batt of wool over the blades thereby electrically connecting the blade sections to be energized by said brushes.

15. Apparatus adapted for forming metal woolcovered backing material which comprises a traveling bed adapted to receive backing material thereon, a corrugating device adapted to corrugate metal wool, blade means adapted to engage the troughs of the corrugations produced by said device and coact with said bed to press the troughs against the backing material, and means for energizing the blade means to unite the troughs to the backing material.

16. In the method of making metal wool-covered sheet material by securing a corrugated batt of metal wool to a thermoplastic adhesive coated in said adhesive coating whereby upon subsequent cooling of said batt and said backing sheet the corrugated batt is securely anchored to the backing sheet. 17. In the method of making metal Wool-cov- "ered paper backed pads by securing a corrugated batt of metal wool to a paper backing having a layer of temperature-sensitive material deposited thereon, the steps which comprise pressing the troughs of said batts into surface engagement with the adhesive layer on said paper sheet,

passing an electric heating current through that portion ofsaid trough in contact with said layer, and maintaining said trough in contact with said layer until the adhesive cools to retain said batt in position upon the paper sheet.

18. Apparatus for forming batt-covered sheet material which comprises a continuous backing surface adapted to convey a fibrous web having a non-tacky thermoplastic adhesive coating deposited thereon, means for directing an elongated corrugated batt onto said backing surface in contact with said adhesive coating, means for engaging the batt in successive troughs to press the batt against? said coating, and means for passing an electric heating current through said batt material to-locally soften said coating while pressing said batt into contact therewith for embedding the troughs of said batt in said coating. I,

19. Apparatus for forming batt-covered sheet material which comprises a continuous backing surface adapted to convey a. fibrous web having a non-tacky adhesive'coating deposited thereon, means for directin n elongated corrugated batt against said bac ng surface in contact with said adhesive coating; a pair of electrical resistance elements extending across the width of 10 said batt for engaging one surface of the corrugated batt in the troughs thereof to press the same into engagement with said coating and means for passing an electric current through said resistance elements and said trough to locally soften said coating while pressing said batt there against to embed the troughs of the batt in the coating.

CHARLES HEPNER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Blessing July 15, 1947 

